Helmets compulsoy for pillion riders: Goa Transport Minister
India Blooms News Service
Panaji, July 24 (IBNS): In the wake of numerous fatal and serious accidents involving two-wheelers, the Goa government is making wearing of helmets mandatory for pillion riders along with the riders, within a fortnight.
"The government has decided to make it compulsory for both rider and pillion rider to wear helmets. The new rule will be implemented within the next two weeks," state Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar told the House while replying to the debate of demand for grants for transport, last night.
More than 250 cases of fatal and serious two-wheeler accidents are reported annually. The number of accidents rises during the peak tourist season and year-end.
The minister said that on an average 50,000 new vehicles are added every year and with this, the traffic congestion also escalates.
"The road transport sector in the state had grown by leaps and bounds and the total motor vehicle population as on March 2012 was 8.66 lakhs, registering an average annual growth of 11per cent," he added. The riders have to compulsorily wear helmets of the highways, a rule by the transport department since year 2004.
Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane expressed concern over the increasing accidents and deaths due to road accidents.
The government has also planned to widen certain roads in the cities across the state, which are more prone to accidents and where huge vehicle ply daily.
Besides, the government has also decided to regulate the mushrooming rent-a-bike business in the state. Dhavalikar said the regulatory mechanism will ensure that the owners under the rent-a-bike scheme take responsibility of recording credentials of its clients.
"The owners fail to record the details of its customers while giving the bike of rents and also the number of bikes displayed on the roadside for the people, take a lot of parking space," he said.
